Brand vs Store Brand

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 Big-brand consumer products companies are starting to win the battle for shoppers who traded down to store brands by cutting prices, rolling out both lower- and higher-priced new products, and pumping up promotions. Even with new Brand name products many are still higher priced than store brands that are the same product or very similar. Although some name brand products

Procter & Gamble Co., Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Unilever NV all showed strong sales growth in Thursday's quarterly earnings report, although P&G's results were hurt by charges including from the U.S. health-care overhaul, and Colgate took a hit from the currency devaluation in Venezuela. While consumers are still minding their budgets, the rising sales are an encouraging, if tentative, sign of economic rebound after more than a year of shopper cutbacks.


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"These are companies that sell everyday household products," said Jack Russo of Edward Jones, who covers P&G and Colgate. "Procter has been introducing products that have more of a value equation. I wouldn't say that consumers are jumping back in on the premium products."

The three companies' sales surged overall, particularly in emerging markets and after price cuts meant to lure consumers back from cheaper private label and store brands.

"We are doing what we have to do price-wise to stay price-competitive," Bob McDonald, P&G chairman and CEO, told investors on a conference call.

Colgate shares fell 20 cents to $84.80 Thursday, while P&G was off 97 cents, or 1.5 percent, at $62.20.

P&G is trying to combine brand strength with lower-priced alternatives while also grabbing shoppers' attention with upgraded products and marketing. The maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers says revenue rose 7 percent, to $19.2 billion, while profit dipped 1 percent to $2.59 billion, or 83 cents per share, with a 5-cents-a-share charge for costs from health-care changes in its third fiscal quarter.

Colgate-Palmolive, maker of Colgate toothpaste, Palmolive dishwashing liquid and Ajax cleanser, saw revenue rise more than 9 percent, to $3.83 billion. But first-quarter earnings fell 30 percent, to $357 million, or 69 cents per share, after the company took a charge for the currency changes in Venezuela, a key South American market.

Unilever NV, the maker of Lipton tea, Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, reported a 33 percent jump in first-quarter profit and a revenue increase of 6.7 percent.

"In cutting prices, Unilever continues to up the pressure on rivals" analyst Keith Bowman of Hargreaves Lansdown said in an earnings note. He described the company's strategy as "intense advertising combined with successful product innovation and stringent cost control."

Unilever and P&G had to cut prices in the quarter because people are more apt to trade down to off-brand home products, said David Kolpak, managing director at Victory Capital Management in Cleveland.

"Consumers are just flat-out a lot more loyal to branded products when it comes to stuff you use for your appearance and your health than when it comes to mopping your floor or cleaning your countertops," he said.

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• Unilever Reports 33 Percent Rise in Q1 Profit (abcnews.go.com)

Shop Primeter Of The Grocery Store

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In general, healthy eating ingredients are found around the outer edges of most grocery stores—fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, whole grain breads and dairy products. The centers of many grocery stores are filled with overpriced, processed foods that aren’t good for you. Shop the perimeter of the store for most of your groceries (fresh items), add a few things from the freezer section (frozen fruits and vegetables), and the aisles with spices, oils, and whole grains (like rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta).
Cook when you can

Try to cook one or both weekend days or on a weekday evening and make extra to freeze or set aside for another night. Cooking ahead saves time and money, and it is gratifying to know that you have a home cooked meal waiting to be eaten.

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• On Fiber (fooducate.com)

My book Save Your Money, Save Your Family is now available

Lupus Is an Autoimmune Disease

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, with symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening, but it can also go into remission for weeks, months, and even years. More serious forms are difficult to manage medically - immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone can control severe symptoms, but should be used with caution, as they can reduce the chance that the disease will go into remission naturally.

If you have lupus, take a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement and modify your diet:

1. Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating wild Alaskan salmon or other cold-water, oily fish three times a week.
2. Avoid polyunsaturated vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, etc.), margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products made with partially hydrogenated oils.
3. Eat a low-protein, plant-based diet that excludes all products made from cows' milk.
4. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (with the exception of alfalfa sprouts, which contain L-canavanine, an amino acid that can worsen autoimmunity).

These recommendations follow those in my Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid.

Essentials

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Try to keep your kitchen stocked with recipe basics:

Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables:KJPGSEVUJYEM KJPGSEVUJYEM

* Garlic, onions, carrots and celery are great recipe and soup starters.
* Frozen corn, peas, carrots and berries for recipe additions and smoothies.
* Dark greens for salads and salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts and seed

Fresh and dried herbs and spices

Fats and oils—liquid vegetable oils (olive, canola, sunflower, corn, and peanut) for cooking. Specialty oils like sesame oil, walnut or pistachio oil or truffle oil for adding flavor.

Unsalted nuts—like almonds, walnuts and pistachios for snacking

Vinegars—such as balsamic, red wine and rice vinegar for salads and veggies

Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads, pasta and soups.

Restaurants: Financial Needs

By: Toni House

Many times restaurants have fantastic food and high guest counts, but suffer because of poor financial oversight. Operators have found that there are many accounting services specifically dedicated to the restaurant industry which help to efficiently manage the financial aspects of their restaurant so they can put their focus back on the food and guest experience.

The need for this type of service is evident with the amount of solutions available today, from the simple accounting software to premier outsourced accounting services.  House: understands the need for detailed financial information. 


Owner and CEO, Toni House, First Tax Solution LLC started out at the age of 15 with McDonald's, later owning 5 of her own and selling years later realized the need for Accounting Firms that are more than just number crunchers, The restaurant Industry needed their accountants to know first hand the struggles of owning a restaurant. 

Now many years later after opening her first Accounting Office in Az. with her sister company offered Virtual Online Accounting and Tax Service since 2000 she now has taken First Tax Solution to another level. We offer Virtual Accounting and Tax Solutions Nation wide, we make every effort to help our clients. We believe in making our clients lives as stress free as possible. (newsletter)

We really do care about you, your family and your future. Our motto is Virtual Accounting and Tax Services When You Need It.  And we really mean that.

With our Virtual Online client portals you  have access to premier reporting tools so you have can view current financial information and trends.  Having this type of information helps gain a plan for the larger picture of your restaurant and future financial performance."

About the Author

Toni House
MBA/CEO and founder First Tax Solution LLC. In 2000 Founded and Created the first Online Tax Preparation and Filing Service and now with Virtual Tax Prep. The Complete Accounting Firm , for Small Business, and the Individual busy family.

First Tax Solution: Provides Professional Accounting and Tax Prep When You Need It.

Author of Save Your Money Save Your Family. Owned and op-porated different business concepts. Helping and teaching people how to live the American Dream. From Owning their own business, becoming a Franchise to being financially secure. With 25 plus years experience in Tax Preparation, Accounting, Food Industry, Construction, Medical and Business Advisory.

(ArticlesBase SC #2130867)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Restaurants: Financial Needs

Stretching Every Dollar

Buys food on sale and in bulk. When she gets home she divides it up into healthy portions and freezes it, so it's ready to cook when she gets home from work.

When she cooks a dish, she doubles or even triples the recipe. Then, she'll divide the leftovers to use as lunches and she'll freeze some leftovers for later dinners.

Soup is one of the healthiest and cheapest meals. We made a delicious vegetable beef soup that costs only fifty cents a serving. Stir-fry and casseroles are other dishes that stretch a buck.

Frozen, Not Fresh

Feel free to use lots of frozen vegetables in your cooking. They're full of nutrients and are inexpensive. You may be surprised to learn that frozen produce is just as healthy as fresh, sometimes even more. Says, Toni House Author of Save Your Money, Save Your Family

Frozen produce is picked when it's ripe and nutrients are at their peak, while fresh food is often picked before it's ripe, causing it to lose more nutrients when exposed to light, heat and air.

Although frozen produce is a good buy, you can still find deals on fresh produce too. Make sure you chop your fruits and veggies yourself, because the pre-cut ones are expensive. And even when you buy whole fruits and vegetables, bagged are cheaper than loose.

Low Cost Exercise

When it comes to exercise, shop around for low-cost gym memberships. The YMCA has discounted memberships through its Open Doors program.

"It's really important for me, from our perspective, that they're treated like everyone else," said Dean Mattix, director of the Ablemarle, N.C., YMCA. "I was a recipient of the program and it's just the right thing to do. We just want to make the Y available to as many people as possible."

Mary Jones lost 40 pounds after joining the YMCA through its Open Doors program. She pays just $5 a month and considers the YMCA her sanctuary.

"Since it's such a Christian-based atmosphere here, it's so easy just to come," she said. "I don't have to be intimidated by cutesy girls or buff guys and all the language. I can come and feel comfortable."

Jones credits her success to the encouraging YMCA staff members, particularly her fitness coach Rick who designed an exercise and weight-lifting program that was custom-made for her-- a service that is complimentary with a YMCA membership.

She also credits the "Y Change" support group, where she and a handful of other members meet regularly to learn about nutrition and exercise as a group.

In addition to the YMCA, there are other fitness facilities that offer low cost or free memberships. Check with your local government about recreation centers or senior centers or exercise classes such as dance or swimming lessons.

Back to Basics

Don't forget about walking-- it's all the exercise you need.

"You have to make it fun. Listen to music you like," said Penny Price, a woman who lost 50 pounds by walking.

"Walk with a friend. That way if you don't feel like walking, your friend will encourage you to go, and vice-versa," she added.

As a nurse, Price counsels her patients about starting off slowly and working up to 10,000 steps a day. She recommends buying a $5 pedometer to keep track of how many steps you take each day. She also recommends buying a reflective vest to wear when it's dark outside or when you're walking on the side of a road.

If you want to walk, but have issues with safety or weather, walk at your nearest shopping mall. Most malls open their doors before the stores do.

Some shopping centers, like the Greenbriar Mall in Chesapeake, Va., even have a "Mall Walkers" organization that fosters friendships.

The group "Stroller Striders" uses the mall during inclement weather. Moms with their babies in strollers not only walk together, they even stop occasionally to do strength training exercises.

"It's a great place for me to meet my friends, said Rachel McHale of the Chesapeake Stroller Striders. "We can come together, be social, we have the space we need and we set a good example of exercising for our kids."

So whether you're eating or exercising, if you use your head you can live a healthy life without breaking the bank.

Save Save Save

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The free lunch lives!
Times may be tight, but here are places where you can eat, drink, play and find treasures without paying a dime.


Cars: Buy online
Did you know that many car dealerships now have two sales teams? The one you’ve traditionally dealt with helps showroom customers. The other deals with people who initiate contact and negotiate over the Internet.

Edmunds.com senior consumer advice editor Philip Reed says the traditional sales force is paid mostly by commission, which gives salespeople an incentive to get you to pay as much as possible. But Internet salespeople usually receive a salary, plus a bonus for the number of cars they sell, which motivates them to move vehicles quickly.


Result? You can save $1,500 to $2,000 on the price of a $25,000 car just by going online. Internet salespeople will send you quotes, help you find financing and even set up a test drive, Reed says. And because you don’t sit through the two-hour showroom negotiation, you’re not pressured into buying things like paint protection or a high-end alarm system.

Checking: You still can find it for free
You might have read that some banks are looking to tack on fees to make up for lost revenue after a rule goes into effect July 1 requiring banks to have customers opt in to get overdraft protection. That won’t take away free checking altogether, but you may have to look harder to make sure you don’t pay extra fees — even if that’s just a few dollars a month. Go to checking finder.com to find free checking accounts at community banks or credit unions that may actually pay you about 3 percent to 4 percent interest, as long as you make at least 10 to 15 debit card purchases and one automatic transfer or direct deposit per month.

Clothing: Rent dresses (yes, really!)
If prom is in your daughter’s future — or if you have invitations for weddings or other spring social events piling up — you may be calculating the hundreds of dollars you’re likely to spend on dresses.

Leave the money in your bank account and rent instead. Rent the Runway, a Web site started by two Harvard Business School grads, rents designer dresses from more than 40 big names (Catherine Malandrino, Doo.Ri, Lela Rose) for about 10 percent of the retail price. A $1,250 Herve Leger rents for $150; a $440 Badgley Mischka for $50. The site solves the size problem by shipping two sizes simultaneously, and it deals with wear and tear by tacking a $5 insurance charge onto each dress. After eight to 15 wears (with cleanings after each), the dresses are retired. The site just added 5,000 items to satisfy demand and will offer accessories and bridal wear, including bridesmaid dresses, in the months to come.

Insurance: Pay premiums annually
Paying insurance premiums monthly — for home, car and life policies, for example — may ease cash flow problems, but, ultimately, that could cost you more than you think. Switching from monthly to annual payments can save you money because some insurers charge fees for monthly billing.

Paying monthly, quarterly or semiannually results in what are known as “fractional premiums.” The higher cost of such premiums amounts to an annual interest charge of 9.5 percent to 29.7 percent, according to insurance broker AccuQuote. Insurers usually don’t disclose the effective annual rate of these fractional payments, but you can figure it out yourself with a calculator like the one at First Tax Solution LLC Financial Tools

Health care: Ask for a break
Even if you have good health insurance — and especially if you don’t — you’re well aware that your plan won’t pay for some services (or portions of services). You can save substantially by asking your doctor for a discount on those items, says consumer specialist Carrie McLean of eHealthInsurance. Insurance companies pay doctors and hospitals an average of only 40 percent of the full bill you’d receive if you were paying on your own, so the fact that they are willing to accept so much less than full price from insurers (including Medicare) gives you a lot of wiggle room in negotiations. “By offering to pay upfront or creating a payment plan with your doctor or hospital, you may be able to get discounts of up to 30 percent of the full charge,” McLean says. If you’re uncomfortable having a conversation about money directly with your doctor, then discuss billing with the office manager instead.


Vacation: Swap homes
A faraway vacation may seem like an extravagance in these tough economic times, but what if you didn’t have to pay for a hotel? What if you swapped houses with a colleague, college buddy, friend or family member?

That could cut the cost of the trip significantly, giving you access to a kitchen, so you can eat in and save more, and possibly a car, too. If you don’t have a friend or relative who’ll swap, Web sites such as Home Exchange.com, Roofswap.com and Intervac.com can help you find free lodging. You can get to know the homeowners and look at their homes before agreeing to swap. HomeExchange.com has approximately 30,000 listings in about 130 countries. You’ll incur some costs: To use Home Exchange.com, you must buy a three-month membership for $47.85 or a full-year membership for $119.40.

Pets: Get hands-on
Karen Halligan, author of “What Every Pet Owner Should Know,” suggests checking your pet for lumps weekly. Why? “You pick up on growths, tumors, lumps and bumps, see if their teeth are looking bad or their coat is abnormal,” she says. Catching problems early can mean the difference between an inexpensive office procedure and chemotherapy that costs thousands — and it can save your pet’s life. How do you do it? In a well-lit area, start at your pet’s head and work down to his tail. Be hands-on so you’ll get used to what your pet looks, feels and smells like when he’s healthy. Then, when something changes, you’ll know you should call the vet.

Colleges: Save while spending
Need to jump-start your child’s college fund? At upromise.com, you can sign up for rebates on everyday purchases. The money will accumulate in an account until you invest it in a 529 college savings plan or a high-yield savings account, use it to pay down a student loan or request a check to apply it toward college expenses.

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35911777/ns/today-today_technology_and_money/#ixzz0iYJQvyu6

Saving Your Family Money On Gas

The Average American drives approximately 12,500 miles per year, the average vehicle on the road even today gets only approximately 17 miles per gallon. The Average price per gallon is approximately as of today $2.74 per gallon.

So just do the math. The average person spends approximately $2,014.69 on fuel costs per year. WOW!!!

So what if the average American driver cut just 12 % out by car pooling, scheduling trips, walking, biking, taking the bus. That is only 1500 miles per year or only 125 miles per month or 4.16 miles per day. It would save the average American approximately $ 241.77 in fuel costs alone. Not to mention another oil change, more tire wear, more engine wear, insurance.

What if the average American cut out 20% of their miles driven. That would mean 2500 miles per year saved, 208.33 miles per month and 6.9 miles per day. Which would mean a savings of $403.88 per year in fuel costs alone. Not to mention tire, oil change, insurance and maintenance on your vehicle.

And the granddaddy of all savings besides your hard earned green stuff. THE ENVIRONMENT.

Look for my book Save Your Money Save Your Family in book stores Spring 2010
www.saveyourmoneysaveyourfamily.com

Saving Your Family Money During the winter Months

There are several ways to Save Your Family Money.

During the winter months we want to crank up the heat. But when we do the dollars and I mean dollars fly out the door.

First spend some time and very little of the green stuff on winterizing your home.
Fix that drippy faucet.

Stop the air leaks around windows and doors.

Drop the temp. from 150 degrees to 120 degrees on your hot water heater could save your family as much as 12 % per year in heating costs.

Teach jr. to turn off lights and electronics when a room or electronic gadget is not being used.

Insulate your attic and walls.

Turn off your sprinkler system. It amazes me how many people forget to turn off their automatic sprinkler system during the winter. In many places in the country it will freeze. Then is must thaw out. And what an expensive wet mess to clean up and repair.

Disconnect your water hoses from the outside faucets. Drain the water out of the hose, coil up the hose and stow it inside the garage or someplace out of the weather.

Wrap the outside faucets with some type of insulation to keep it from freezing.

I personally us plastic bags, newspaper, dry old towels and duct tape, wrap it tight so no air can get in.

Take the time to do it now. Or you can deal with the mess later.